Channing Tatum’s Subsequent Mission? A ‘Attractive’ Romance E-book With Roxane Homosexual
If you’ve been waiting for the moment literary firepower and Hollywood star power collide in the romance genre, your moment has arrived. Roxane Gay, the celebrated author behind Bad Feminist, and actor Channing Tatum are co-writing a romance novel — and everything we know about it so far suggests it’s exactly the kind of book romance readers have been craving.
A Meet-Cute for the Ages
Every great romance has an origin story, and the tale of how this collaboration came to be reads like one itself. Gay explained the serendipitous beginning of their partnership in a conversation with Dua Lipa on the Service95 podcast.
“A journalist asked him if he knew that there was this writer who had a crush on him and wrote a book called Bad Feminist,” Gay recounted. “And he was like, ‘Oh, I haven’t heard of it, but I’ll look into it.’”
“And then he did. And then someone approached him about doing a book project,” she continued, “and he was like, ‘Yes, I would love to, if I can co-write it with this person.’”
From there, Gay said, “The duo’s relationship took off.”
How it happened — the Bad Feminist writer revealed — their partnership came about “in the most ridiculous way.” For romance readers, though, it sounds less ridiculous and more like fate doing what fate does best.
The Premise: A Voluntary Arranged Marriage With Heat
Now for the details that matter most. Gay shared the book’s premise on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and it’s a setup that will feel instantly familiar to fans of the genre while still offering something fresh.
“It’s actually grounded in reality,” she said. “You know how so many people make these little pacts? Like, ‘If we both turn 40 and we’re still single let’s get married.’ So they actually get married and then they fall in love afterwards.”
A marriage-of-convenience trope with a contemporary twist? Yes, please. And Gay put a finer — and delightful — point on it.
“A voluntary arranged marriage,” she laughed. “With lots and lots of sex in a bakery.”
A bakery setting. A marriage pact. A love-after-marriage arc. And as for the steam level? Gay left zero ambiguity about it: “It’s very sexy. Lots and lots of sex.”
A Partnership Built on Mutual Respect
Beyond the premise, one of the most compelling aspects of this project is the creative dynamic between Gay and Tatum. Gay has spoken openly about being impressed by Tatum throughout the writing process. Tatum is not entirely new to the world of publishing — he previously authored the Sparkella children’s book series, inspired by his and ex Jenna Dewan’s daughter Everly, 12.
But what Gay highlighted goes deeper than craft. In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, she spoke candidly about Tatum’s character.
“For whatever reason, he is intimately aware of his privilege,” she shared. “He doesn’t apologize for it, which is, frankly, refreshing. Like, you’re an absurdly attractive famous wealthy white man. Please don’t pretend that isn’t great. But he treats people well.”
Notably, Tatum made sure that he and Gay were equally paid for their collaboration — a detail that speaks volumes about the partnership’s foundation.
“To be clear, that is the right thing to do,” Gay noted. “And we shouldn’t give medals to people for doing the right thing, but at the same time, most people simply don’t do the right thing and it is notable when it happens.”
What We’re Still Waiting On
For readers already eager to pre-order, there are a few blanks still to be filled. The official title has not yet been announced. It’s also unclear which publishing house won the bidding war for the book — yes, there was a bidding war — and no firm release date has been set.
Gay has mentioned that the book is expected to drop hopefully next year, though nothing is set in stone.
For romance readers, the wait will be worth watching. A collaboration between one of the most incisive voices in contemporary writing and one of Hollywood’s biggest names — centered on a beloved trope, set in a bakery, and unapologetically steamy — is the kind of publishing event the genre deserves.